Page Metadata

Title

The Warning

Description

Then that woman, now that she «as once more covered, commenced to screaming again, and X decided that her resemblance to Euphemistic was even greater than I'd first supposed. Hy recollection was that he'd hollered some too. "What is it?" Ma gasped as she tried to adjust her eyes to the light from my lantern. "Who is it, Cordelia?" Then 3he saw me, her eyes hardened, and I knew I was about to become buzzard bait. Without hesitation Ma was onto me, whacking me with that broom and joining her screaming with that of the woman Cordelia's, and instantly my room was noiser'n an empty wagon running fast on a hard froze road* "Hal" I screamed myownself, and about then Lucille and LaRue were up that ladder and they were screaming too, and tooth of them little female wildcats who had always and heretofore been my sweet little sisters, had also lit into me and were biting and tearing me further asunder with every passing mouthful. "Hal" I yelped again. "It's me. Hyrum! Ma, it's your S2&>" At that Ha slowed down enough to look, saw that I was telling the truth, gasped, and then her lips thinned down with anger and she started swinging that frightful broom again. "Hyrum, you...you...." ahe sputtered angrily. "Well, this is awful1 What on earth are you doing in bed with Cordelia?" Well, I thought of several answers, but I didn't give them because 1 was too busy ducking Ma's swinging broom and pulling my legB out from between my sisters' fiercely chomping teeth. Why, the whole up-scuddle made a feller wonder about what I'd said earlier concerning families and love and trust, and about kinfolk coming to the rescue whenever there was trouble. If this was what it was like to be rescued, then I never wanted to be involved in 3uch a horriferous and extrioative event again. "Ha," I yelled frantically, "it's gv_ bed and mv_ room. I don't even know this woman! And I surely didn't mean to go cliabing into bed with her! Now doggon it, leave me alonol" That oust have done it, for Ka suddenly stopped and stepped back and looked at me. Then, as X winced from the lose of a major portion of left thigh to my sister Lafiue'a dripping jowls, Ma reached out and pulled both LaRue and Lucille away. "For heaven's Bake, Hyrum, I...." -26-